Just ordered new home theater goodies :)
11-26-2012, 02:51 PM
#1
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Just ordered new home theater goodies :)
As much of a movie/tv show fanatic that I am, I've never really owned a decent home theater system. I've always researched the hell out of my TVs but never coined up for the sound.
I purchased a new TV last year. A top of the line 55" Panasonic plasma. Yes, I'm still a plasma fan. Don't doubt the black levels! Anyways, it came with a Panasonic 2.1 sound bar. Now in the apartment, it was way more then enough sound. But as soon as I put it in the living room in our new house, it sounded like my iMacs built in speakers! So something had to be done.
Funny though, when I was painting the living room I took the sound bar to the basement. I have a 42" Panny plasma on the wall down there. And it sounded great in the small room. So that's where it will be once I get the new equipment.
Anyways, after doing a ton of reading on av forums I finally ended up with the Energy Take Classic 5.0 speakers, an Energy ESW-M8 sub woofer, and a Denon 1712 receiver (last years model).
I went with the Energy's because of their size, their look, and the fact that no matter where I read about them, they got outstanding reviews. They also fit in my budget. However, I didn't get the Classic 5.1 set as the sub woofer that comes with that system is 200 watts rms. The m8 that I got is 300 watts rms. Plus the sub was half off today on Amazon!
I went with last years Denon 1712 instead of their new unit because the new units only output 80 watts instead of 90. The new 1713 is only 5.1, whereas the 1712 is 7.1 (can expand in the future or run biamps). And I got a great deal on it from accessories4less! $280!
Anyways, at 90/100 watts on each satellite, with each speaker wire probably being around 30 feet max, what gauge wire should I get? 12, 14, 16? Also, do you all recommend banana type plugs?
I purchased a new TV last year. A top of the line 55" Panasonic plasma. Yes, I'm still a plasma fan. Don't doubt the black levels! Anyways, it came with a Panasonic 2.1 sound bar. Now in the apartment, it was way more then enough sound. But as soon as I put it in the living room in our new house, it sounded like my iMacs built in speakers! So something had to be done.
Funny though, when I was painting the living room I took the sound bar to the basement. I have a 42" Panny plasma on the wall down there. And it sounded great in the small room. So that's where it will be once I get the new equipment.
Anyways, after doing a ton of reading on av forums I finally ended up with the Energy Take Classic 5.0 speakers, an Energy ESW-M8 sub woofer, and a Denon 1712 receiver (last years model).
I went with the Energy's because of their size, their look, and the fact that no matter where I read about them, they got outstanding reviews. They also fit in my budget. However, I didn't get the Classic 5.1 set as the sub woofer that comes with that system is 200 watts rms. The m8 that I got is 300 watts rms. Plus the sub was half off today on Amazon!
I went with last years Denon 1712 instead of their new unit because the new units only output 80 watts instead of 90. The new 1713 is only 5.1, whereas the 1712 is 7.1 (can expand in the future or run biamps). And I got a great deal on it from accessories4less! $280!
Anyways, at 90/100 watts on each satellite, with each speaker wire probably being around 30 feet max, what gauge wire should I get? 12, 14, 16? Also, do you all recommend banana type plugs?
11-26-2012, 02:55 PM
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You'll love the Classics i have them and they take the pin plugs not banana plugs. Check out Monoprice.com for everything.
My setup is in here: https://acurazine.com/forums/home-theater-electronics-45/new-new-home-theater-furniture-791330/
My setup is in here: https://acurazine.com/forums/home-theater-electronics-45/new-new-home-theater-furniture-791330/
11-26-2012, 03:05 PM
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^Nice. Do you have just the Classic speakers or the kit with the sub?
How much power is your amp pushing to the speakers? What gauge wire are you running?
How much power is your amp pushing to the speakers? What gauge wire are you running?
11-26-2012, 03:42 PM
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FYI everywhere that I read, banana plugs work just fine. You just gotta remove the metal post cap (that looks permanent...).
11-27-2012, 10:19 AM
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Well I'm so excited about this stuff, the deals I got and entering into another side of the tech world that I haven't really dipped my toes into, that I'm going elaborate on my plans here. Consider this almost a build thread. Lol
The living room is a rectangle. It's roughly 18' wide and 35' long. The fireplace is dead center on a 35' wall, with two windows centered between it and the other walls. I know that what I ended up getting is probably underpowered for that big of space, but that's ok for now. This is going to be such a big step up in power anyways I believe we will be happy. (220 max watts to a constant 750w...)
Anyways, the TV is above the fireplace. I tore out all the old crappy marble and we are putting in mosaic tiles around the whole thing. We also have a nice big white mantel that is going up. So all the rough drywall areas are being cut out, and I'm putting 1/2" hardiboard in it's place. The tile will match the bottom of the mantels width, about 54". Also, this entire room has been painted, trim painted white, ceiling repainted white. The floor tile is also finished already.
The TV is mounted on a Cheetah mount I got off Amazon. For the price, I would totally recommend their mounts to anyone. Great build quality. I choose this style of mount because our deck is off to the left of the TV. And during the summer, when BBQing and the like, I can twist the TV around so we can see it out there. I have to admit, pulling it all the way out and turning it around is scary shit. Lol. But it works great.
It's a good thing I am cutting the drywall out, as it will give me access to run my cables horizontally through a stud or two. One reason I wanted to wait to do the fireplace until after I got the receiver is now instead of running 4-6 HDMI cables plus power to the TV, I only have to run one HDMI and then power.
I ended up ordering one of these. It's a recessed plate with two outlets, plus allows for cables to be ran. This will be mounted behind the TV. Probably centered. So there will be ZERO cables showing.
The plan is to put the receiver, PS3, aTV3, WD Media Center, and the DVR box on the bookcase that's on the far wall to the right. So I ordered one of these for that end.
I measured it all out and found that from the TV, down, around, through the floor, over, up, and out the wall requires me to have a 40' HDMI cable running from the receiver to the TV. So I ordered one of these. It's the new monoprice HDMI cables with "Redmere" technology. Apparently, they found a way to make HDMI Cables twice as long at half the width. The 40 footer I ordered should be as flexible as a cat5 cable. Cool stuff. I also order a 270* HDMI adapter for the TV as my HDMIs come right out the side of the TV.
Now onto the receiver and speakers. As I said above, I ended up with a Denon 1712. It's last years model and is a factory refurb unit. I am 100% not the kind of guy to buy refurbed products, but damn near everyone on the av forums recommended doing so. Just make sure it's from an authorized reseller. So I got my unit at accessories4less for $270! The unit is 7.1 pushing out 90 watts a channel. It has 6 1.4 HDMIs in and 1 1.4 HDMI out. Supports ARC and all that jazz. This unit is better then the 1713 for my purpose because it has 10 more watts a channel, has Audyssey MultEQ XT, zone 2 out, is 7.1 instead of the 1713s 5.1 (so the older model is more future proof) but lacks all of the networking features that the 1713 has. Which is perfectly fine because of the aTV. 1713 costs $400+...
For the speakers I went with the Energy Take Classic 5.0 system. I choose to not get the 5.1 system as the sub woofer that comes with that complete system only outputs 200 watts rms. The speakers are pretty small and a sleek piano black.
The sub I choose is the Energy ESW-M8. It's a small upgrade over the ESW-8 that comes with the 5.1 system. But I believe it will be worth it. It outputs 300 watts rms. It too is very small, sleek, and piano black.
I ended up going with 14 gauge speaker wire from monoprice. I ordered 150 feet of it and I'm sure I will have plenty left over. I also ordered my speaker wall mounts off monoprice. At ~$4 a pair I might as well give them a shot.
The ports on the Energy speakers are in the rear so they recommend being a few inches at least away from the wall for best performance. These will put them 5" away, so I should be good. I plan to run the wires through the wall behind each mount, remove the trim on the floor and drill a hole down, and run the wires down under the floor to the receiver. No wires showing.
The last thing I ordered were some very nice locking banana plugs for the speaker wires. I spent a little bit of money here and got some nice GLS plugs. $50 well spent, if they work right, imo.
Now even though the receiver can do 7.1, for now, with how the room is setup and where our furniture is, we will be rocking 5.1. I'm going to follow THX recommendations pretty closely.
So I've got a lot of work to do. Cabling needs ran first so I will be cutting up the fireplace drywall very soon. Then once the tech is in place, it's time to start tiling up the fireplace surrounds.
I'll try and take pics of my progress.
The living room is a rectangle. It's roughly 18' wide and 35' long. The fireplace is dead center on a 35' wall, with two windows centered between it and the other walls. I know that what I ended up getting is probably underpowered for that big of space, but that's ok for now. This is going to be such a big step up in power anyways I believe we will be happy. (220 max watts to a constant 750w...)
Anyways, the TV is above the fireplace. I tore out all the old crappy marble and we are putting in mosaic tiles around the whole thing. We also have a nice big white mantel that is going up. So all the rough drywall areas are being cut out, and I'm putting 1/2" hardiboard in it's place. The tile will match the bottom of the mantels width, about 54". Also, this entire room has been painted, trim painted white, ceiling repainted white. The floor tile is also finished already.
The TV is mounted on a Cheetah mount I got off Amazon. For the price, I would totally recommend their mounts to anyone. Great build quality. I choose this style of mount because our deck is off to the left of the TV. And during the summer, when BBQing and the like, I can twist the TV around so we can see it out there. I have to admit, pulling it all the way out and turning it around is scary shit. Lol. But it works great.
It's a good thing I am cutting the drywall out, as it will give me access to run my cables horizontally through a stud or two. One reason I wanted to wait to do the fireplace until after I got the receiver is now instead of running 4-6 HDMI cables plus power to the TV, I only have to run one HDMI and then power.
I ended up ordering one of these. It's a recessed plate with two outlets, plus allows for cables to be ran. This will be mounted behind the TV. Probably centered. So there will be ZERO cables showing.
The plan is to put the receiver, PS3, aTV3, WD Media Center, and the DVR box on the bookcase that's on the far wall to the right. So I ordered one of these for that end.
I measured it all out and found that from the TV, down, around, through the floor, over, up, and out the wall requires me to have a 40' HDMI cable running from the receiver to the TV. So I ordered one of these. It's the new monoprice HDMI cables with "Redmere" technology. Apparently, they found a way to make HDMI Cables twice as long at half the width. The 40 footer I ordered should be as flexible as a cat5 cable. Cool stuff. I also order a 270* HDMI adapter for the TV as my HDMIs come right out the side of the TV.
Now onto the receiver and speakers. As I said above, I ended up with a Denon 1712. It's last years model and is a factory refurb unit. I am 100% not the kind of guy to buy refurbed products, but damn near everyone on the av forums recommended doing so. Just make sure it's from an authorized reseller. So I got my unit at accessories4less for $270! The unit is 7.1 pushing out 90 watts a channel. It has 6 1.4 HDMIs in and 1 1.4 HDMI out. Supports ARC and all that jazz. This unit is better then the 1713 for my purpose because it has 10 more watts a channel, has Audyssey MultEQ XT, zone 2 out, is 7.1 instead of the 1713s 5.1 (so the older model is more future proof) but lacks all of the networking features that the 1713 has. Which is perfectly fine because of the aTV. 1713 costs $400+...
For the speakers I went with the Energy Take Classic 5.0 system. I choose to not get the 5.1 system as the sub woofer that comes with that complete system only outputs 200 watts rms. The speakers are pretty small and a sleek piano black.
The sub I choose is the Energy ESW-M8. It's a small upgrade over the ESW-8 that comes with the 5.1 system. But I believe it will be worth it. It outputs 300 watts rms. It too is very small, sleek, and piano black.
I ended up going with 14 gauge speaker wire from monoprice. I ordered 150 feet of it and I'm sure I will have plenty left over. I also ordered my speaker wall mounts off monoprice. At ~$4 a pair I might as well give them a shot.
The ports on the Energy speakers are in the rear so they recommend being a few inches at least away from the wall for best performance. These will put them 5" away, so I should be good. I plan to run the wires through the wall behind each mount, remove the trim on the floor and drill a hole down, and run the wires down under the floor to the receiver. No wires showing.
The last thing I ordered were some very nice locking banana plugs for the speaker wires. I spent a little bit of money here and got some nice GLS plugs. $50 well spent, if they work right, imo.
Now even though the receiver can do 7.1, for now, with how the room is setup and where our furniture is, we will be rocking 5.1. I'm going to follow THX recommendations pretty closely.
Front Left & Right Speakers (L & R): Place the Front Left and Right speakers at ear height, producing a 45° angle as viewed from the main seating position. This delivers a wide sound stage and precise localization of individual sounds.
Center Channel Speaker (C): Place the Center channel speaker either above or below the TV. Then, aim the speaker either up or down to point directly at the listener. If you have a perforated projection screen, center this speaker both horizontally and vertically behind the screen.
Surround Left & Right Speakers (SL & SR): Place the SL & SR speakers between 90° to 110° to each side and 2 feet or higher above the listener.
Subwoofer (Sub): If you have two Subs, put them in the middle of opposing walls. If you have one, place it in the middle of the front wall.
Center Channel Speaker (C): Place the Center channel speaker either above or below the TV. Then, aim the speaker either up or down to point directly at the listener. If you have a perforated projection screen, center this speaker both horizontally and vertically behind the screen.
Surround Left & Right Speakers (SL & SR): Place the SL & SR speakers between 90° to 110° to each side and 2 feet or higher above the listener.
Subwoofer (Sub): If you have two Subs, put them in the middle of opposing walls. If you have one, place it in the middle of the front wall.
I'll try and take pics of my progress.
Last edited by maharajamd; 11-27-2012 at 10:26 AM.
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11-27-2012, 10:40 AM
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I used the same mount (from Monoprice) and the same wiring boxes as you. They work great. I have the set with the sub included and it sounds great for my taste.
11-27-2012, 10:44 AM
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Unless they changed the design those banana plugs will be way too big. The Classics take the small pin type. It's really the only negative I've read about those speakers.
11-27-2012, 10:58 AM
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11-27-2012, 11:29 AM
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Nice. That's the next step up. Although I'm not entirely sure why. They're def smaller...but output the same wattage per sat speaker. And the sub is only rated at 60 watts rms?!?
If they were a decent jump forward, I would probably cancel my take 5 order and get them. As they are on sale right now for $400 including the sub. That's 60% off...
Edit: Conflicting info online...I think the sub is rated at 240. Good thing I opted for the bigger sub then. I got the Take 5 classics for $130... and the sub for $300. So that's only $30 more for 60 extra watts on the total package.
If they were a decent jump forward, I would probably cancel my take 5 order and get them. As they are on sale right now for $400 including the sub. That's 60% off...
Edit: Conflicting info online...I think the sub is rated at 240. Good thing I opted for the bigger sub then. I got the Take 5 classics for $130... and the sub for $300. So that's only $30 more for 60 extra watts on the total package.
Last edited by maharajamd; 11-27-2012 at 11:38 AM.
for loud booming audio.
11-27-2012, 01:21 PM
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Eh really, we are too. I had the new Total Recall going last Saturday morning. A 1080 rip with DTS audio. IT was playing while I went out to smoke, dog came with. So we go out in the yard to play catch for a bit and while out there, I could distinctly hear the bass rumbling from the movie. And that's on a soundbar/sub combo that outs a total of 220 or 240 watts. I can't imagine what 750 will be like. Lol
So there is def a ceiling, as far as power output, for us in that room. But the room is big enough it needs some power.
So there is def a ceiling, as far as power output, for us in that room. But the room is big enough it needs some power.
11-27-2012, 03:05 PM
#15
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I'm pushing 1000w in my living room, and when I have it up around 55-60 I can hear my music/TV clearly with all the windows closed while I'm out back with my dogs 
11-27-2012, 03:07 PM
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Lol. My neighbors are going to love me then. 
11-28-2012, 12:03 PM
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And I keep my powered sub woofer at 1/2
12-21-2012, 07:19 PM
#20
Suzuka Master
A couple suggestions. I know you are set on the speakers, but I believe an in-wall setup would have streamlined much nicer into your room. However, you would have been pushed into a different price point. The suggestions I have though are to either run a smurf tube from the TV location to your equipment location or run at least 3 CAT5 or CAT6 cables. Monoprice stuff is hit or miss, and really ANY HDMI cable is. If you go through the work you are planning on your fireplace, and you have a failure with your wire, you are toast. With the CAT cabling in place, you can simply throw a balun in the event of a failure.
What exactly did you measure for your cable run? If you measured about 40 feet and you ordered a 40 footer, you will most likely be short. You have to account for every bend of the cable, and a lot of people err in this regard.
You mentioned that you will be putting the equipment in a bookcase to the far right. Will everything be enclosed? I would seriously consider a proper control system either way. Please, do not get Harmony for your own sanity. If you want to look at the URC line I can help you and can provide you with the software that is not directly available to the public. You can PM me if you decide to go that route. If you have any other installation questions, give me shout also.
What exactly did you measure for your cable run? If you measured about 40 feet and you ordered a 40 footer, you will most likely be short. You have to account for every bend of the cable, and a lot of people err in this regard.
You mentioned that you will be putting the equipment in a bookcase to the far right. Will everything be enclosed? I would seriously consider a proper control system either way. Please, do not get Harmony for your own sanity. If you want to look at the URC line I can help you and can provide you with the software that is not directly available to the public. You can PM me if you decide to go that route. If you have any other installation questions, give me shout also.
12-27-2012, 02:17 PM
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Actually, I haven't posted here yet because a lot of things changed. MY monoprice order went on back order, then I switched it up, then back order, then I finally realized that the wall plate I switched to did not support ARC or high speed hdmi...
I'm going to put all the components in the corner to the right of the TV. Initially I was going to put them all completely out of sight. But I could not find a good solution for the remotes / angles, etc. I'm not sure yet what kind of furniture I'm going to put the electronics on but I'd love something that's wall mounted. I'm trying to keep the floor "open" in this room.
I ended up not ordering those "feed" through type wall plates and instead ordered the more professional option, a 5.1 wall plate and a 1.4 hdmi wall plate. I also order a rca wall plate for the subwoofer. So everything will be "permanent".
As for cable lengths. I ordered 200' of the 14 gauge speaker wire. And I did order the 30 foot redmere hdmi cable. When I measured I measured tv to wall, down to fireplace, and all the zig zags it would have. Then added 15% and got the 30 footer. After stretching it out, it should be plenty long enough.
Well I've had the speakers, sub, and receiver for a few weeks and I have to say I love it. They are clear, crisp, and fill the room. The sub is fantastic for how small it is. And the receiver works like a charm.
I just went out and bought 50' of crap 18 gauge wire for the speakers. So they are just setup in a line. Now that I actually have all the monoprice crap, I will start working on the HT install.
It would be cool to find a nice cheap way to extend the DVR remote/receiver...
I'm going to put all the components in the corner to the right of the TV. Initially I was going to put them all completely out of sight. But I could not find a good solution for the remotes / angles, etc. I'm not sure yet what kind of furniture I'm going to put the electronics on but I'd love something that's wall mounted. I'm trying to keep the floor "open" in this room.
I ended up not ordering those "feed" through type wall plates and instead ordered the more professional option, a 5.1 wall plate and a 1.4 hdmi wall plate. I also order a rca wall plate for the subwoofer. So everything will be "permanent".
As for cable lengths. I ordered 200' of the 14 gauge speaker wire. And I did order the 30 foot redmere hdmi cable. When I measured I measured tv to wall, down to fireplace, and all the zig zags it would have. Then added 15% and got the 30 footer. After stretching it out, it should be plenty long enough.
Well I've had the speakers, sub, and receiver for a few weeks and I have to say I love it. They are clear, crisp, and fill the room. The sub is fantastic for how small it is. And the receiver works like a charm.
I just went out and bought 50' of crap 18 gauge wire for the speakers. So they are just setup in a line. Now that I actually have all the monoprice crap, I will start working on the HT install.
It would be cool to find a nice cheap way to extend the DVR remote/receiver...
Last edited by maharajamd; 12-27-2012 at 02:19 PM.
12-28-2012, 08:24 PM
#22
Suzuka Master
I still recommend a proper control system. A properly programmed URC remote and RF basestation will completely change the ease of use of your whole system. I can help you out with all of this, from purchasing to programming if you'd like.
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